Spade and shovel.



H. H. ALTVA'IER.`

SPADE AND SHOVEL.

APPLICATION FILED 1330.26. 1911.

151346,36@ Patented 1360.111912.

vll/vento@ www pierre 'f HENRY H. ALTVATER, OF FOWLER, WI'ICHIGAN'.y

SPADE AND SHOVEL.

Specilcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

, Application led December 26, 1911. Serial No. 668,010.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knovn that l, HENRY H. ALTVATER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fowler, in the county of Clinton and State of lilichigan,have invented certain new and uset'ul Improvements 1n Spades andShovwith which the prylng or lifting properties of the handle will notbe materially lessened by reason ot'slotti'ng the same for the receptionof the shank ot the spade. these objects by the mechanism illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a front, and Fig. 2 is aback elevation of the spade extended for use. Fig. is a sectionalelevation ot the spade handle on the line a: of Fig. 2, with the spadefolded hack upon Athehandle. Fig. et is the same with the spade extendedin position for use in digging in tlie ground. Fig. is a cross sectionot' the handle on the line e a fof Fig. 3 showing the lockingl andstrengthening clamps, Fig. 6 is a sectional Viennot the locking clamppractically on the line f 7/ of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is the pivot pin. v

Si rilar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Tlie handle,l A, or' this spade is slotted from. the lower end upward,as indicated at a, tor the reception and tree action of the shanky B otthe spade, which a thin broad shankfmade integral with the spade andpro- .jecting upward some distance therefrom, as indicated in theseveral tigures. rlhis shank is pivotally secured in the slotI a of thehandle, as indicated at. 7), in such a manner that the spade may betolded upon the handle, as indicated in Fig. 3, or it may be extendedlongitudinally. as indicated in Figs. l, Q and fl.

To avoid iimonvcnience, it is necessary that this spade be locked toplace .vhcther it is extended or folded, and for this purpose l place acatch, as E, FJ', upon the handle A and pass the connecting sheetsbetween these parts through the slot a in the handle in l attainsuch amanner that the two plates, E and E, form strong resistance elementscovering a portion of the periphery ot the handle at each side adjacentto the slot, and the connecting sheets E, made integral with the platesE, E, form a very strong supporting element for the shank of the spadewhen such element is necessary in digging into the ground. A slot e ismade in the plate E for the passage of the stems e', which stems aremade integral with the slides or catches C, C so that said catches may'be readily slid between the plates E and C. These catches are actuatedto force them out-ward by means of any available form ot spring, as indicated at Fin Figli, to hold them temporarily to position so that theends will project. beyond the edges of the plate E so that they may-beutilized as latches to engage with the notches e and c in the shank B otthe spade to hold said shank, and the spade firmly to place in whicheverposition, as shown in Figs, 3 and it, vit may beplaced. Thus, it thespade is folded back upon the handle, as in Fig. 3, the catca or latch Cengages the notch @,and it the spade is eX- tended, in Fig. 4 the'catchC engages the notch c and the spade is heldtirlnly against moving orturning 4on the pivot pin b, as hereinbetore suggested., fj

When the spade is eifendedeas in Fig. 4, the hack4 edge of t.lieslia.nkE rests firmly upon the inner sheetzlC lwhich` with the pivot pin o, andby reason ot the sheets E extending through the slotI the width ot thehandlev andbeing made integral with the plates E, vwhich in turn aresecured to the handle, forms a firm unyielding support tor the spadewhen in use for digging.

Care must be taken to place the pivot pin 79 in such position, relativeto the longitudinal measurement of the shank B thatl when the spade isfolded or extended the notches c and c will be in position to exactlyregister with, or engage the latches or catches Cand C respectively. V v

The pivot pin is provided with a loose sleeve 7," that extends nearlythe length of the body ot the pin, and with a thimlole b at each end,one of which is fitted to screw upon the end or" the pin, the length ofthe sleeve' and ot' the necks ot the two thimhles being equal, to thethickness of the spade handle so that they may be screwed firmly to'place without danger of bending the sides of the handle suiiiciently toclamp the shank B the spade 'from its on the handle, or vice open to itsclosed position What I claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent of the United States, 1s:

In combination, a

shank extending upward from the handle having a slot ception of theshank, ally securing the sha vshank having notche spade, a thin broadspade, a through it for the rea pivot pin for pivotnk into the slot,said s therein, latches se` ycured in the slot to engage saidlnotches,and

plates secured to the handle 'and having sheets passed through Signed atFowler Michigan December 14th 1911.

HENRY H. ALTVATER.

In presence oi"M J. W. PIERCE, J.,F. SHRAFT.

